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Too $hort Reveals Anti-Snitch Origin Of Jay-Z’s “A Week Ago”
Too $hort has always been one for sharing epic tales, a testament to his storied career as a hip-hop legend. Not long ago, HipHopDX took a moment to chop it up with $hort and E40, and the former shared an interesting anecdote about his 1998′ collaboration with Jay-Z “A Week Ago.” As it happens, the Vol 2…Hard Knock Life track was actually written as a direct response to what $hort and Hov perceived to be a shifting attitude toward snitching.
Interviewer Trent Clark cites the album’s liner notes, in which Jay-Z explains that “we made this song because snitching was becoming too cool.” When asked about the climate in the rap game at the time, Too $hort shares some backstory about the last years of the golden era, with particular regards to the perception of snitching. “At that time, you would just probably relate it to what was happening directly around with you with certain friends and stuff and experiences that you were taking in immediately in the present, but in hindsight, it was a much bigger picture involved in there,” explains $hort.
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“When you look at it like, here’s a guy who got in the dope game, and he wanted to make some money, and he saw that it was a very lucrative opportunity,” he continues. “He started making a lot of money, but then when he gets busted, and they tell him, ‘You’re going to do 30 years unless you give us all this information, and then you can do 10 years,’ and you’re like, ‘What you want to know?’ And you just start singing.”
“I think that in the present, you go, ‘He’s weak,’ but in hindsight, I just don’t know because of all the political things that were going on around crack cocaine,” says $hort. “The crack epidemic, and the war on crime, and the war on drugs, and all the stuff that really was just a war on minorities. It was really just trying to find a way to reinvent slavery once again. After Jim Crow, after Civil Rights, and now it’s mass incarceration. It’s the same slavery all over again.”
Circling back to the song, which covers a fractured partnership between two industrious drug-dealers, Too $hort brings things back to the present. “When you just look at these situations, that’s like a time capsule,” he reflects. “That whole, ‘It was all good a week ago,’ like, ‘He was my best friend. We were getting money, and now you’re about to send me down the river,’ and it’s like, ‘Who was going to get it?’”
For more insight from Too $hort, including his thoughts on how snitching has been weaponized in gang warfare, check ou the full interview with HipHopDX below.
Macklemore Launched A Retro, Golf-Inspired Clothes Label Called Bogey Boys
Seattle rapper Macklemore is trading in those thrift store duds for something a little fancier (but just as retro) with the launch of his Bogey Boys clothing label, which remixes the type of looks you’d expect to see on the green (circa ’79-82) and puts them more in line with what you’d see on the streets. If you’re wondering “why golf?” we’ve got an answer. As Macklemore recently shared on Uproxx’s People’s Party with Talib Kweli, he’s become an avid golfer during the pandemic.
As far as golf-playing celebrities go, Brad Pitt’s Cousin is actually pretty damn skilled, too. He recently won a five-hole match at AT&T’s Every Shot Counts Charity Challenge — well, technically he tied with Alfonso Riberio, who literally seems like the inspiration for much of this line.
Bogey Boys feels like a big, wild, fun maximalist vintage golf adventure, but it doesn’t feel like some white-label cash grab. Macklemore told Hypebeast, “Design has always been an integral part of the creative process… all the tech specs of the work have been a journey and definitely a new endeavor… It’s something that I’ve been passionate about and definitely has been in my wheelhouse.” In short, Macklemore’s merch, artwork, and music video concepts have always come from in-house, so pivoting to apparel isn’t that surprising.
Remember, the dude got huge on a song about clothes!
The full Bogey Boys collection consists of polo shirts, button-ups, jackets, sweaters, pants, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats — everything you’d need for a dope golf fit — and is now available at the Bogey Boys webstore. The whole thing takes on a sort of colorful Golf Wang vibe, but a little more mature. Check out some of the Bogey Boys lookbook photos below and head over to Bogey Boys to shop the full collection.
Ayanis Is A Southern Soul Whose Confidence Shines Like Diamonds Through Her Music
R&B singer Ayanis is a walking ball of energy. It’s a quality that jumps out in her music as well as her overall personality. We spoke to the Texas-born, Atlanta-bred singer just months removed from her sophomore project, Yani, and this enthusiasm and exuberance flowed with ease throughout our half-hour phone call.
Despite all the hectic aspects of 2020, Yani stood as a bright spot for Ayanis. The 11-track project saw her working with some of today’s most recognizable names: Wiz Khalifa, Mulatto, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Jack Harlow, and Queen Naija. Despite this, Ayanis doesn’t fade to the background because of her co-stars, instead, she shines just as bright beside them.
Coupled with the album’s most popular tracks “Ecstasy” and “Lil Boi (Big Talk),” there are many moments where Ayanis stands out on her own. “New ” is a sultry number that captures the renewed love with an old flame and “Good Music” a triumphant track that reaks of the New Orleans background her parents grew up in.
With a new year ahead of her plenty of opportunities to grow as well, we sat down with Ayanis to discuss Yani, her childhood, and what her ultimate goal in the industry is.
You ended 2020 on a high note with the release of your Yani project, what was your reaction to the way it was received and what are your goals musically for the new year?
Yani got a really great response and I took my time on it so I was proud to see that people are really supporting the record. People haven’t seen me with features before, so having features on the project — people being able to see me collaborate — sees me in a different light, and then my music has grown from my first project, Directions to Yani. So, you know it’s like me being grown, sexy, and very confident, but the response has been great, and as far as this year? I want to get my first plaque for sure — plaques with an s — I wanna go platinum. Billboard, that’s a goal for myself, top 40 — I really want to get the No. 1 on Billboard for real. Put out another project as well and just continue to grow.
What was the difference behind your intention in creating your 2018 project Directions compared to Yani?
So the intention of Direction was discovery. It was me figuring out, okay what do you like? What don’t you like? What do you sound really good on? It’s basically like an experiment in a way with Direction. It was me trying to figure out what works, okay let’s try this but I’m down to experiment with sounds and different types of production and when I got to Yani, I really found myself. I really put a stamp on it and said Yani is my alter ego. You know me as Ayanis, but Yani can be bold, she can be sensual, she can be confident, she can talk a lot of sh*t. Direction was like my younger self, it’s like an introduction basically. The intent was the introduction to let people know, she’s a singer, she’s a dancer, she’s an entertainer, and then when you get to Yani it’s like, “Oh! Alright!” You know what time it is. Just settling in myself as an artist and my confidence, I think the intent was there just because of me growing as a person and as an artist for Yani.
I know it might be too early to tell, but what do you think your intention will be with your next project?
I think I made it very clear that I call my genre “R&Bop.” I like to do uptempo, I like to do music that I can dance to and that people will feel good cause, that’s what I felt like, is missing a little bit R&B, like the music that people can dance to and be with their friends with and be with their family with and be hype on top of also having the vulnerability in the songs That’s why I call it “R&Bop” cause it just really pushed the rhythm and blues. So for my next project, I think it’s too early to say because it’s like I just start recording in the recording process and then I figure out where I want to take it, but it’s going to stay within the genre of “R&Bop.” It’s gonna have those records that you can dance and feel good to while also talking my sh*t for the ladies, I always have to do that. I have to speak for the ladies first and foremost.
Moving back to Yani, how would you describe this project to a listener who hasn’t discovered you yet? What experience do you think these 11 songs bring?
You’ll experience great energy, I want that first and foremost. The energy of being fun and exciting and feminine but also Southern. I have a certain twang when I talk, I have certain lingo because I was born in Texas and my family’s from New Orleans, and I lived in Atlanta, so everything is Southern. Yeah, it’s energy, we’ve got songs on there like “Ecstasy” that are sensual and “One Night” as well. Then you have me having fun like in “Gumbo” or “Good Music,” which is like something you can vibe out with your friends and your family. You also have a vulnerable side, a relatable side, which is me discussing being afraid of relationships or still dealing with the same person like with “New.” It’s just the energy of how you feel when you’re most confident and also when you’re sitting at home alone and you’re like, “Oh sh*t,” you know when you think about your life that night. It’s the energy first and foremost, I think it takes you through the experiences of every emotion really.
Let’s talk about some of the songs on the album, starting with “Drip,” what made that the perfect song to start the project with and how was the chemistry between you and Mulatto as you both worked on it?
I know that the project had to start with “Drip” because the production is so big and so triumphant, shoutout to the producer, [DJ] Hardwerk, he’s incredible, he also produced “Flex.” When I heard the production I was just like, “Woah.” If this was the first song on a project, you would keep listening to the next song and the next song and the next song. So I wanted to start it on such a high note, I think on my first project I started it with a slow tempo song and then I gradually went into more uptempo, but this project like I said, for me with the energy so I wanted to let people know I’m here, that was why it was first. Having Mulatto on the record, she’s also from Atlanta, we’re both from the southside of Atlanta, so it’s dope that she did the record with me. She’s so talented and she’s been working for such a long time, we actually met a long time ago when we were both younger and to see her now flourishing and doing her thing is amazing to me. I just want to have another triumphant boss-ass female on the song and she was perfect. We’re both from Atlanta, we’re both from the southside of Atlanta, it was dope having her on there.
One of my favorite songs on the project is “One Night,” the music video has 3.3 million views right now. How did the collab with Wiz Khalifa come about?
Shout out to the producer J. White, he’s incredible. He’s worked with Cardi B, did “Bodak Yellow,” he’s done a lot of amazing stuff. So, how the “One Night” with Wiz Khalifa came about was that I met him at the Christmas party that Atlantic [Records] has annually. He was in the section right next to me and I got his information and then he was like, “Hit me up if you ever hear a song idea,” and I was thinking to myself, oh yeah, I’m definitely gonna have something that I can hear you on. I want to say I already had the song, I’m pretty sure I already had cut at the time and I thought about it and I was like Wiz would actually be perfect for this because he’s so versatile and I’ve really been a fan of him since high school [too]. I sent him the record and literally, he sent it back. I wasn’t expecting to send it back so soon cause I’m a new artist and he’s probably really busy, so the fact that he sent it right back I just really appreciated that. But yeah, it was because of the Christmas party to make a long story short.
A track like “Lil Boi (Big Talk)” overflows with confidence, but so does the whole EP. What’s the source of this confidence for you?
I’ve always been a very confident person, I would say because I’ve always known what I wanted to do. I think knowing my purpose is what helps me be confident because I always feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like I’m living my dreams out because it’s my purpose. So, I think that’s probably why I’m confident, on top of whenever I stay in certain situations, I always think in my head like, “I’m gonna bounce back from this, it’s all good.” If a guy tried to play me? Ha, he played himself cause now I’m on ten like now let’s go make a song about it. I just have that mentality to keep going and keep pushing the envelope and keep bettering yourself, that’s for sure what pushes my confidence just because I’m a super passionate person.
Was it hard creating a project in the midst of a pandemic? If so, how did you overcome some of these creative obstacles?
Well, some studios were closed at the beginning of the pandemic, but it didn’t stop anything because I’m always finding ways to be creative, no matter the situation. We already had some records, because I’m literally always recording. When we got back in it was like, I think I was just so excited and eager. I had ideas, I had things I wanted to talk about, I had time. To me, it was kind of a blessing, because you have time to think about what you want to do next. Usually, it’s go, go, go, go go, if you have a second to think like, alright, what’s your objective? What do you wanna leave the impression with for this next project? How do you want people to feel or? What do you want to experience? I think it was a blessing, in a way. In another way, I want to perform. In that aspect, I miss being able to perform and meeting people because I want to actually see people in real life. Do the interviews in real life, from that spectrum it’s like, damn. On the other hand, being able to record, that’s been great. I just missed real-life interactions as an artist, being able to meet people, see people and talk to them in person.
What’s a dream collaboration that you hope to make a reality in your career?
I have a few, but I’ll just give you like three. Drake, Missy Elliot, man I have so many, Beyonce and Rihanna [too].
Being that you were born in Texas and raised in Atlanta, what are some artists that had a huge impact on your artistry.
Oh man, being from the South, there’s so much influence, especially between Texas and Atlanta. As far as Texas goes, I was listening to Beyonce growing up — I love Beyonce. I lived in Texas until I was six and then I moved to Georgia, my dad’s in the military. It’s that and New Orleans influences too cause my family’s from there. Atlanta, so many [influences] too, there’s TLC, there was Monica, there’s Outkast. When I was in middle school, Travis Porter, they have such a fun, vibrant sound to their music. Then R&B, you have Ciara — there’s a lot of really amazing, talented people between Texas and Atlanta that influenced me. I got to work with Jermaine Dupri and he’s from Atlanta.
How was that?
Amazing! He really is hands-on and he can stay up. I know I could stay up, but he can stay up. He’ll be working on a beat and then we’ll be writing songs. He’s incredibly talented, very hands-on. He brings in the right people, he brought in Johnta Austin and Dallas Austin, it was incredible.
What was Ayanis like as a young girl?
Oh my gosh. She was not afraid to try anything, she’s really the same [now]. I think she still lives in me for sure that’s how I’m here. My mom used to always have this camera, this VHS, and she always used to put it in all of our faces and be like, say hi. I would sing or dance or [be] like, “Look at me!” I knew exactly what I wanted to do, even back then. My mom would tell me all the time, “She’s confident, the girl don’t sit down. She never sits down.” That’s what she always used to tell me. “Girl you always moving around, when are you gonna sit down?” I’m like, “Never!” I’ve been that way, fun, not afraid, and confident, a dreamer [too]. That’s how I got here. When I was younger, I used to always say, “I’m gonna be a singer when I grow up.”
What do you hope to be or become as you grow older in this industry?
I think just because of the way I was raised, I always want to be a good person and treat people the way that I want to be treated, as a person. No matter how big I become, I’m gonna always try to remain humble because I think that’s important. Things are given to you, that doesn’t mean that you get to be a d*ckhead. I know what happens. I definitely believe what I see for myself, I believe I’m gonna have a huge career. I’ve been working towards it and I’m gonna continue working towards it for years, so I’m definitely in it for longevity. I want to be a platinum-selling recording artist, I want to be able to travel the world when it opens back up, the world tours, give back, just [be] a big superstar. Touching people with my music, with my talents, and being able to give back to people and making them feel something and inspire other people to believe in their dreams.
Yani is out now via Atlantic. Get it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
AZChike’s Trailblazing ‘Amiri’ Performance On ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Dismisses The Trend
After Drakeo The Ruler and Almighty Suspect came through to tear it up in consecutive weeks, UPROXX Sessions keeps the West Coast party vibe alive with yet another alum of the City of Angels’ well-established underground scene, AzChike. The South Central native dropped by to perform his Cypress Moreno-produced, post-G-funk bop, “Amiri.”
Although the track’s namesake is best known as a brand of expensive, highly-detailed menswear, Chike makes his intentions clear from the get. “Amiri on my feet, I said, ‘F*ck the jeans,’” he crows in his signature swing-flow deadpan. “Need at least ten to f*ck with me.” The LA-based designer, best known for customizing denim for rock stars like Axl Rose and Steven Tyler, has also become popular with hip-hop artists, receiving shout-outs from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Future, and more, but in typical Lotusland fashion, the LA-bred AzChike has no use for the existing trend, preferring instead to set his own.
Watch AzChike’s trailblazing performance of “Amiri” for UPROXX Sessions above.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
Alexis Skyy Shares Birthday Suit Thirst Trap From Vacation
Reality TV persona best known for her former relationship with rapper Fetty Wap, Alexis Skyy shared a photo of herself in her birthday suit from her recent vacation on the beautiful island of Jamaica.
Two weeks ago, the influencer posted a series of photos rocking a number of cute bathing suits while on her tranquil getaway, but this time she took to Instagram to flaunt her curves alongside the gorgeous clear waters from one of Jamaica’s beaches.
Skyy’s followers seemed to be living for her confidence and beach glow, and proceeded to hype her up in the comments for her effortless beauty.
“Your beauty is crazy. Send me your smile,” one user commented. Another person added, “This is the best!”
The Instagram model has been mixed with a lot of Love & Hip-Hop drama due to her past relationship with “Trap Queen” rapper Fetty Wap. Back in December, Skyy was in the middle of beef with Masika Kalysha, but this is no surprise as their animosity has been ongoing for years. Masika, Fetty Wap’s baby mama, accused Alexis of lying about the paternity test she took which determined that her daughter, Alaiya Grace, was Fetty Wap’s child. It was later revealed that her daughter’s father is a man named Brandon Medford, after he commented on a post of Skyy holding Alaiya saying “Daddy’s Girl” with a red heart– leading to Skyy getting dragged on all social media platforms for several weeks because she had lied about the situation.
Now, it seems Skyy has moved on from the drama and is living her best life, giving zero f*cks, on the beautiful beaches of Jamaica.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 6 “British Khaki” Coming Soon: Best Look Yet
Travis Scott’s efforts with Nike and Jordan Brand have been well-received over the past three years, as the artist continues to deliver some incredibly dope shoes. One of those sneakers was the Olive Air Jordan 6 which dropped a while back, in limited numbers. His Jordan 6 was immediately teased in some other colorways, including yellow, which was a one-of-one that ended up being gifted to Offset. Now, another La Flame Air Jordan 6 is being shown off, but in a new colorway: “British Khaki.”
In a post from the Instagram sneaker account @wavegod_thelegend, we got a fresh look at this new colorway, albeit in the grade school version. as you can see, the shoe is covered in brown suede, all whole red details are found throughout. There is a stash pocket near the cuff, as well as a zipper on the opposite side, which gives these a nice tactical look.
Fans have been waiting on a new shoe from Scott for a while now and these are shaping up to be another great release. More photos will be coming down the pipeline soon, all while this shoe is pegged to be released in the Spring of this year.
Let us know your thoughts on the shoe, in the comments below.
King Von’s Sister Kayla Mocks Yaya Mayweather’s Video About Lil Durk & Pooh Shiesty
Yaya Mayweather is going viral for the wrong reasons this week. The socialite is being clowned for a myriad of different reasons as people pick her apart for bringing her newborn son on a yacht, which many are saying was unsafe, and also for being so vocal (and extra) about her distaste of Pooh Shiesty and Lil Durk’s hit record “Back In Blood”.
Floyd Mayweather’s daughter was partying last weekend when “Back In Blood” came on and, while everyone at the party was seemingly overjoyed to yell out Durk’s “that’s my dawg” line, Yaya didn’t want to hear it. “Are y’all serious right now? Turn this weak ass song off,” she whined on Instagram Live. She’s been meme’d for the moment, especially since she’s seemingly the only person alive that doesn’t like the track. Even Lil Durk appeared to chime in on Twitter. However, even Kayla B., King Von’s sister, is getting involved now.
Reposting a video of somebody mocking Yaya’s video, Kayla B. co-signed the clip and stood on Durkio’s side. Yaya, being so close to Youngboy Never Broke Again, likely was so vocal about her not liking the record because of YB’s problems with Only The Family and O’Block through his association with Quando Rondo.
People are seemingly siding with Kayla after she posted this, despite them also saying that she’s only posting it to extend her fifteen minutes of fame. Kayla gained thousands of fans following her brother’s passing as she started hanging with 50 Cent, 21 Savage, and other rappers.
What do you make of this latest drama?
Flo Milli Stars In Bubbly Spotify RADAR Mini-Documentary
Flo Milli, the self-proclaimed “Princess of Rap,” has steadily been building a reputation as one of Hip Hop’s most impressive new acts. Last summer, the Mobile, Alabama upstart dropped the well-received project Ho, why is you here ?, and two months into 2021, she has already shared two incredible singles, “Roaring 20s” and “Nasty,” with Rubi Rose, Mulatto, and Rich The Kid. Now, with all eyes on her, Flo Milli has teamed up with Spotify to create a mini-documentary to properly introduce the sensational new artist.
For the latest installment in Spotify’s RADAR mini-documentary series, Flo Milli takes viewers on a journey through her rise as an artist, from hopping on a bus to move to Atlanta to her massive breakout in 2019. The five-minute clip showcases Flo Milli’s confidence and personality as she reveals her goals and aspirations. Various members of her family also make appearances to offer praise for the rising Alabama rapper, with her mother calling her “spontaneous” and “bubbly” and her grandmother bringing light to her past scholarly achievements.
For a deeper look into Flo Milli’s background and her rise as one of Hip-Hop’s most noteworthy female talents, check out the mini Spotify documentary below.
Deshaun Watson Doubles Down On Status In Houston
Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the entire NFL and in a few months from now, it is highly likely that he will be on a new team. As we have reported over the last few weeks, Watson has been upset with the Texans franchise and feels like they have done wrong by him. As a result, he wants to be traded, despite numerous attempts by the Texans to thwart such a situation.
According to NFL reporter Dan Graziano, Watson actually got to meet with new Texans head David Culley. While Culley was hoping to keep Watson on board, the quarterback immediately told the new coach that he had no plans of staying in Houston and that he still wants to be traded sooner rather than later.
This is awful news for the Texans, who recently let go of perhaps their biggest player in franchise history, JJ Watt. With Watson gone, they will have to go through a fully-fledged rebuild, and it’s certainly not going to be an easy endeavor.
The Watson-Texans saga is expected to ramp up as we approach the month of March, so stay tuned for any updates as we will be sure to bring those to you. In the meantime, let us know where you’d like to see Watson wind up.
